Edit
by pretendi'mnothere
Summary: Sequel to Jailbird. Based on speculation for season 4. Heartbreak. Memory loss. The makings of epic romance, clearly.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So...Where to start? This is a sequel to my story Jailbird.

This would be my imagining of what season 4 will be according to speculation/the books. I didn't originally plan on writing this, but everyone seemed to think Jailbird should not have ended, I thought about where the story might go from there...I am still going, I guess. I could have added on to Jailbird, I suppose, but I like to think of it as an episode more than the whole series. What did not happen in Jailbird that did happen in the show is that conversation Eric had with Godric as he is burying Russell in the concrete...about how Eric is what Godric created. Well, in the books I was put off by the fact that Eric became such a puss when he lost his memories so I really want to explore how much of Eric is who he was and how much is who he became. Also, at the end of Jailbird Sookie is left heartbroken and I think she is considerably more betrayed in the show (and my universe) than she was at this point in the books. If that is the case will her relationship with Eric develop in quite the same way?

There you go. So, if that sounds like the most awful idea ever I don't recommend reading this. I think that's all for now. Review if you really hate it, I love passion. Enjoy!

* * *

"I'll see you soon, Sookie Stackhouse," he had said to her. But he did not come to her the next night. Or the night following that. Nor did he come to her for the many nights following those. Those nights turned to weeks and eventually months. At first she kept track of the ever-expanding space of time, but as time passed it seemed as though he might have finally lost interest in her and she became comforted by the fact that he kept his distance.

That first night, as she had closed her door, she found herself alone. All that wishing to be alone amidst the fields and flowers and fairies had not prepared her for what it truly meant to be by herself. Dragging herself into her living room she collapsed on the couch pulled one of her Gran's old afghan's around her body and sobbed as though she could remove the pain that tormented her. The next morning, when she found herself in exactly the same position, she merely closed her eyes, pulled the blanket tighter around herself and resumed crying in desolation. It was as though she had broken through a wall that she had not allowed herself to see and suddenly she was crying for everything she had ever lost. It was the smell of her Gran in the blanket around her, the faint memory of the sound of her parents' hushed voices as they talked downstairs after putting their children to sleep, the love she thought she could rely on that was constantly slipping from her grasp.

As days passed she found she no longer cared enough to get off the couch, it had become a safe haven and it created circumstances she could control. Tara never came home, Jason never came to visit and several times her phone rang, but she never answered to see whom it was. She felt free of the constant maddening din of the world and felt very little if anything of the fact that no one had come to see her. On the third day she got up for work. Showered, got dressed and went to Merlotte's as though nothing happened. She said hello to Sam, smiled at all the right times, paid her customers unwavering attention and made a great deal in tips. At the end of the night she completed her work, said goodbye to Sam, got in her car and drove home where she laid down on the couch and cried herself to sleep.

She quickly learned that if you acted like everything was fine then no one questioned why she had lost so much weight, why she constantly came to work with bags under her eyes. Fortunately for her the world was too preoccupied with its own issues to pry into hers and it suited her just fine. At first it had been disappointing that he had not come to her, but she had grown to appreciate the distance. She reasoned that she was done with vampires. No human man could ever make her happy. She was meant to be alone. So she might as well get used to it.

Her heartbreak wore on her excessively and where many would feel empty and hollow in the face of such a blow, she felt a constant overwhelming sorrow. She wore it like a lead vest that had permanently attached itself to her shoulders. Physically slumping under the weight of disillusionment, she trudged through each day of her life as though if she just kept moving she could avoid drowning in it.

As time passed the weight lessened its hold on her. She still felt as though she might burst at any moment, yet it seemed she was better able to maneuver through life without its constant nagging on her back. Maintaining a regular routine of sleep, cry, work eventually evolved into a pattern of sleep and work. She rarely left the house, never socialized, but was able to stop crying. Perhaps it was because she cried all of the tears she was meant to, because many a night as her head hit the pillow and the afghan came close to her face she felt her body heave as though to cry, but tears never came.

The one thing that remained constant was her couch. It was not that there was something wrong with her bed except that it reminded her of him. She could imagine lying there, feeling so safe in his arms. The length of her tired body entwined with his cool, muscular limbs. How long she had waited to feel so special and cherished. She could almost reach out and touch that feeling of love. And all she wanted was to get into the face of the memory version of herself and shake her stupid, bony shoulders for feeling so loved and complete. She wanted to look upon memoryBill and scream all of her hatred into his dead, closed eyes. Except she never yelled. Never got angry. She just avoided her bedroom; she figured it was safest that way.

It was an uneventful day in mid November when she laughed. In the middle of taking an order one of her customers good-naturedly reached out and touched her arm in a gesture of conspiratorial laughter and without thinking about it she allowed herself to laugh. As she was still laughing she caught herself, but instead of stopping she merely laughed harder, perhaps harder than the joke warranted, and walked away to put the order in. There was no analysis of the occurrence. No following thoughts that led back to the last time she laughed. It merely happened and then it was over. Several weeks later it happened again and her heart felt a little less heavy.

By December she had learned how to be on her own. She no longer dwelled on her life without love or friendship. She still did not sleep in her bed, but there was no one around to know about it. The only people she spoke to were customers and occasionally her co-workers. It was best this way, she thought and each day she found another small thing to be happy and grateful for. Her easy, sunny demeanor returned and although she was not the same, she was beginning to resemble a version of herself that she could recognize.

It amazed her, for all those nights she spent doubled over wracked with the force of sobs escaping her body, her laughter returned so easily. A soothing numbness took the place of the burden of sorrow. She was not happy, but she was not sad and she allowed herself to feel things in passing such as the wonderful swell of laughter. It was not something that happened when she was alone. No, it was too soon to be happy by herself. But when she was surrounded by people she forgot so easily all the things that kept her up late into the night and it felt as close to normal as Sookie thought she had ever felt.

It was for this reason that when Sam requested volunteers to work on New Year's Eve she gladly stepped up, hoping that avoiding being alone would start her year off with something resembling happiness. It was a long night filled with both the contagious celebratory joy of the customers and the horrible exhausting wrestle with the overly celebratory drunks. Though as midnight rang out in Merlotte's Sookie felt comforted by the love, however alcohol induced, among the patrons. It seemed as though everyone was lonely and just looking for someone to share the beginning of a new year with. A chance for change. To begin again.

As she wiped down her last table she felt as though she experienced something cathartic and for the first night in as long as she could remember she was not dreading going home alone. Briefly as she drove home she thought tonight might be the night that she finally slept in her own bed. That was her last thought before she turned onto her road and saw a man, shirtless and barefoot, running down the dark road.

Logic would dictate given everything she knew about the world she would know enough not to get out of the car and approach a strange man. Ignoring all of this she slowed down anyway. As she approached the figure something clicked inside her brain and simultaneously she slammed the gears into park and launched herself from the car.

"Eric?" she called out cautiously. It had been some time since she had seen him, but she was fairly certain that it was still ridiculously unusual for him to be running down a dirt road in barefeet and no shirt. But when he turned to face her no look of recognition registered in his eyes. He appeared wild and panicked and very unlike Eric Northman.

"Keep your distance."

She was taken aback. "Eric, what are you doing out here?"

"Do I know you?" Now Sookie was at a complete loss for words. Was he kidding? Seeing that his panic was increasing by the moment she floundered for something, anything to say that would make sense of why Eric was running down her road completely unexpected in the middle of the night and did not seem to know who she was.

Looking her in the eyes, he began to approach her in a predatory manner. Finding herself closer to a vampire than she had been in months she breathed deeply in that painfully familiar scent. Inches away from her face he stared deep into her eyes searching for what she did not know. "Do you know me?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Edit: v. prepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting._

A/N: This has proven a greater undertaking than I previously thought. I never moved so much forward plot wise in one place so I am not sure how well it flows. Hopefully the next chapter will be better.

Also, there is a bit of language. I wasn't sure if I should change the rating since it isn't frequent. If anyone is offended I will be happy to change the rating for you, just let me know.

* * *

She stared at him in utter incredulity. Unsure of whether or not to trust him she stood there trying to rationalize the situation unfolding before her. It had always been a blessing not to read vampires, but the subtlety of body language and the nuances of nonverbal communication were often lost on someone who mainly relied on her mind to interact with people.

"Are you fucking with me?" she asked in a cautioned tone. But he only stared blankly into her eyes. Her Eric would have had a comeback, a nasty remark at the very least. This version of Eric stood there and quietly observed, without any hint of mirth and not even a ghost of a smirk on his face. It was unnerving her since she had never seen him behave this way especially given an opening like that. Marveling at him as if he was suddenly someone completely different and then realizing what that entailed, she backed away just a fraction.

"You are Eric Northman, sheriff of area five."

"And we know each other?" He was tense; anxious, and it was making her anxious. Although he had never given her any real reason to feel safe in his presence, what with the threatening and endangering her life all the time, she had always felt as though he had a certain restraint that would prevent him from ever permanently ending her. She was an asset to him after all and it would have hardly behooved his political agenda for her to come to harm. However, that was her Eric. If this Eric really had no idea who she was then he had nothing vested in her survival. There was nothing saying that he wouldn't end her out of sheer boredom.

"Do you know you are a vampire?" She wasn't sure what kind of stupid question that was. She had a sneaking suspicion that when one finds themselves dead it is pretty obvious and when that is accompanied by a desire to drink blood the conclusions could not be easily overlooked.

He only seemed surprised. "You do not fear me?"

She forced herself to appear relaxed, though she was almost completely certain she reeked of terror and that is why he said that. After all, who in their right mind would stop and talk to creatures on a dark road, unprotected and by themselves in the middle of the night if they feared for their safety. Hesitantly she looked into his eyes and felt the faint tingling of a glamour at the back of her neck. Shivering almost undetectably she pushed it off, "Not normally, no. But I don't know if _you_ will harm me."

Regarding her with confusion he slowly shook his head. "I will not harm you."

Relaxing, she offered a something faint smile and gestured towards her tiny yellow car. "Come on, we can go to my house and figure this out."

"Do you live near?" While she had managed to relax he was still wound like a spring.

"Down that way," she waved noncommittally in the direction of her house. "Get in, I'm cold." With that she got back into her vehicle and waited as he slowly approached her passenger side and climbed in.

As they made the short journey down the darkened road neither made an attempt to speak. Sookie felt as though the entire situation was bizarre and surreal. It was so very typical of the supernatural world to invade on her personal bubble in exactly this way. Months had passed without word from Eric or any vampire, for that matter. Now one has shown up practically on her doorstep and she is expected to deal with it.

Who was this sitting next to her? As a direct result of his appearance she could answer that question, but what had happened to him and how had he gotten there, in Bon Temps, of all places. Considering she had not seen hide nor hair of any vampire for quite some time his sudden cameo on her road was unexpected to say the least.

Easing her car into its usual parking spot she softly put it into park and pulled the keys from the ignition. Turning in her seat to properly look him in the eyes she once again marveled how his spark, much like her own, was gone.

"You really don't remember anything?"

The look of loss and desperation on his face made her regret saying anything. She got out of the car and without another word makes her way to her front door watching Eric follow hesitantly behind in her periphery. Unlocking the door she stepped into the entryway and turned to face him as she remembered rescinding his invitation.

"I need an invitation?"

She was caught off guard by his question. Looking down at her porch she casually mused on what a good cleaning would do for the look of her home. Finally, she met his unwavering gaze. "It's a long story. Come in."

A look of intrigue passed over his face, but he stepped into the house without further comment. As she watched his long, lean body stride around her house she began to wonder if she was making a mistake. Eric had always been manipulative and opportunistic, but the pieces just didn't fit. This all seemed just wrong. He seemed wrong. The last time she had seen him he had been tender with her. Uncharacteristic, sure, but it had felt sincere. So sincere, in fact, that she had very different expectations of her next encounter with him. Then again, she hadn't seen him in months. Perhaps they had just run their course, he had lost interest now that she didn't belong to Bill. This was all a bit much, though, even for him.

She made her way to the kitchen as he continued to explore her house. She couldn't even remember the real him having seen that much of her house so she seriously doubted anything would jog his memory. One never knew, though, what would help, so she stayed out of his way and let him linger and explore. Pulling a True Blood from the fridge she popped off the cap and put it into the microwave. Then she took a seat at her kitchen table and dipped her head into her hands. As she enjoyed the slight relaxation it brought to her weary body she heard the faint ding of the microwave, but chose to ignore it. Despite her young age the combination of being on her feet all day and trying to block out the thoughts of dozens of drunk, loud patrons wore heavily on her body and many nights after a long shift all she wanted was to lay down and shut out the world. She was so absorbed in her exhaustion that she didn't notice him approach and stand in her kitchen, quietly appraising her.

"What is your name?" In all the confusion she seemed to have forgotten the important details.

"Sookie Stackhouse."

"You live alone."

"Oh, my friend Tara lives here," she paused for a moment, mentally checking herself, "lived here. She took off a few months ago." Sookie remembered how concerned she had been when Tara had first gone missing. It could not have happened at a worse time and for many nights she lie awake staring at the ceiling and willing Tara to call and prove she was still alive. About a month ago she had gotten an ominous postcard assuring her safety, but it didn't make her feel any less horrible about her being gone. She wondered how she could have missed the signs that Tara was planning on packing up and moving on. Sometimes she thought she spent so much time trying to keep the world out of her head that it must have made her incredibly selfish. She felt Eric slowly approaching where she sat and she jumped away from him before he could touch her.

"Are you alright?"

She smiled weakly. "Yeah I'm fine, just tired, I guess." Walking around to the far wall she pulled the phone from its cradle. "I'm gonna call someone who I think will be able to come get you."

A guarded look entered his eyes and he pulled back and stood tense. In that single moment the Eric she knew stood before her and she was bereft. Alarm then took the place of his untrusting features and she began to laugh and shake her head dismissively.

"Who are you calling?" His untrusting tones stabbed her heart once again. How pitiful to miss someone who you were not even aware you liked. She hadn't even thought much about Eric for the past few months. Instead, choosing to pretend that vampires had all disappeared. Somewhere in the back of her subconscious, though, lay the hope that Eric would sweep in and confess his love. That never happened, but she kept a True Blood on standby for just the occasion. Standing there in her kitchen was a man who she wanted nothing more than to find comfort in and who had absolutely no idea who she was.

"Pam, your um…child?" she finished uncertainly. He nodded slowly, just once and she took that as the go ahead before dialing the number for Fangtasia.

"Fangtasia," came the curt greeting through the phone. Pam, even more laconic than usual, was without her usual snappy tag line. Sookie was fairly certain that this indicated she was in the midst of the apocalypse because Pam never got shaken. And for Pam a lack of sarcasm means panic.

"Pam."

"Ah, Sookie, usually it's a pleasure, but I am rather in the middle of something. If this is not a matter that needs immediate attention I am afraid I will have to ask you to call back at a later time."

"Well, actually, Pam. I was calling to see if you had perchance lost some…thing?" Her usual southern hospitality was laced with sarcasm and ambiguity. One could never be too cautious about these types of things. Not that Eric appeared in her life out of nowhere with absolutely no recollection of his identity or how it is he came to be at that exact spot, but she assumed all vampire related problems fell into the same category.

"You found him." She expelled air deeply into the phone. Sookie assumed this would be the equivalent of a sigh of relief, though she knew vampires didn't breath.

"Yes and no." This was going to be fun.

"What does that mean? Let me speak to him."

"Okay, so now the fun story, Pam. You need to get here immediately, no questions asked. Like ten minutes ago." A beat passed. "Please". In hindsight it could have been a poor choice to rattle off orders to a vampire and Sookie was not about to toe that line with Pam right now. She didn't hear the phone disconnect, but after realizing there was no longer anyone at the other end of the call she gently replaced the phone on the wall.

"I guess she's coming," Sookie said to no one in particular and went to retrieve the blood from the microwave. Handing it to Eric with a napkin he took it unquestioningly and she sat back down at the table.

"Pam? My Child? Is she trustworthy?" He took a small, hesitant sip from his True Blood and sat down in the chair across from Sookie.

"Oh, well," she started, unsure of the correct answer. "I figured you could just sort of feel her. You know?"

He gave her a look of uncertainty. "Well, yes, but I was wondering from your dealings with her has she proven trustworthy?"

Fumbling to recall anything at all she stuttered out, "Yes, when it comes to you." Not only was this a difficult situation to begin with, but also having them both be so timorous and untrusting of one another was making everything ten times more difficult. She longed for Eric's blunt honesty and his finesse in sidestepping things he did not want her to know. Well, she longed for an Eric who knew anything at all.

In order to distract herself from the ache of missing Eric she allowed her thoughts to wander. She thought back to the rooftop in Dallas where she witnessed a side of Eric she had not seen before or ever again. On his knees, pleading desperately for his maker not to end his own life, was a sight that had broken something in Sookie. Always a nurturer, that moment had led her to see him in a whole new light and as ridiculously as it was she felt an immense need to comfort the thousand year old vampire. That moment between Eric and Godric had led her to believe that no child was ever capable of harming their maker, thus Pam was their only ally.

Without a word he got up from the table and when to stand in the living room looking out the window. Getting up to stand beside him she peered out from behind the curtains to find a questioning Pam staring at her. Dressed in a soft beige pencil skirt, peach blouse and nude platform pumps, she appeared as though she was not on duty at Fangtasia that evening. Did she just know Eric had gone missing, Sookie wondered, or was she there?

"Anything?" she quietly asked him while still looking back at Pam. An imperceptible shake of his head was the only answer she got.

Leaving his side she wordlessly went and opened the door. Barging in with a grand, classy sweep of her arms, as only Pam could, she immediately went to her maker and stood before him. Without a word she turned back to face Sookie. "What have you done to him?"

Shocked by Pam's accusation and outraged that she thought Sookie had it within her to harm Eric she felt herself grow immediately defensive. "I didn't do shit! You're the one who lost him. What did you do to him?"

Pam's ever-present vampire calm found her again and she turned back to inspect him. "Eric, Master, what is wrong?"

On edge and apprehensive, Eric looked over to Sookie for assistance. "He doesn't know who you are. He doesn't know who he is. Hell, he doesn't know where he is right now."

Scowling at her response he looked down at Pam and carefully inspected her features. "I am not an invalid, I seem to be having some difficulty recovering my memory. I can feel the bond, I know you're my progeny, but I cannot remember you."

Pam stared at Eric a moment longer and said something in a language that Sookie couldn't understand. The same did not seem true for Eric, who answered Pam without missing a beat. Whatever was exchanged seemed to be enough for both of them and Pam turned to Sookie with a look of boredom and resignation of her face. Sookie chalked it up to being a vampire thing, how Pam could appear to remain calm even in the direst of circumstances. Her maker and the vampire she owed fealty to were gone and in his place was someone without his killer instincts and devious strategic mindset. She could only imagine the vulnerability caused by such a situation and there was a very great possibility if someone found out about Eric's current state that it could lead to an attack.

"He will stay with you." It wasn't a question.

"Like hell he will!" Only Pam's eyebrow moved almost indiscernibly. "No way, Pam. I am done with the vampire political bullshit. I did the nice thing, I found him on my road, I took him home, I fed him." Pam's eyebrows both shot up. "Not like that! Geez, who do you think I am? I gave him a True Blood and I called you. That's it. The end of my good Samaritan duties and I want him and you both gone. I'm tired, I want to sleep and I am not in the mood to jump back into your crazy supernatural world especially not at this moment in this manner." When she finished Sookie's panting was the only sound that could be heard in the room. Within moments, though, Pam was in Sookie's face growling.

"First, my little fairy friend, might I remind you that you are a part of this world whether or not you want to be. Second, my master saves you time and again, shows you more kindness than even I think necessary, protects you without you even having to ask him and you would dare to refuse to assist him the first time he actually requires your assistance? Not to mention the fact that you trample all over the pathetic human feelings he has developed for you by keeping your distance, rescinding his invitation and making him _feel_ things!"

"He cannot stay here, Pam." Sookie stood her ground against the admittedly terrifying Pam. Eye to eye they stood in a deadlock until Pam gave a feral hiss into Sookie's face.

"Enough," came the barking order from Eric, who up until that point had remained completely silent across the room. Putting himself in-between the two women he looked down at Sookie and gave her a pleading look. "I do not know her."

"You don't know me," Sookie replied exasperatedly.

"I feel safe with you. Please."

Sookie sighed. How could she say no to Eric Northman, in any form, begging to stay at her side? "Fine," she mumbled and went to plop down onto the couch, hating how much she was resembling a petulant child, but not knowing what else to do under the circumstances.

"Wonderful," Pam deadpanned. "Do you have somewhere for him to stay?"

"I will dig a hole in the cemetery out back," Eric offered. Sookie wondered how Eric knew that there was a cemetery back there. After all, he had only looked about her house for several minutes. She didn't ask though and instead gave an obviously forced smile so Pam would take the hint and leave if she wasn't going to take Eric with her.

"I will be back as soon as I have any news. I will fix this." As Pam spoke to Eric she noticed her features grow soft and she remembered once again Eric kneeling of the rooftop in Dallas. She imagined it must be distressing for Pam to not know how to help her maker.

"Well, if that's all, I want to go to bed." Sookie made a big production out of getting off of the couch and stretching her arms skyward in an exaggerated yawn. "Some of us are human," she added for good measure. If she was going to act like a brat she might as well push it as far as she could. Pam said something in the foreign language to Eric and was gone before Sookie could blink.

Alone once again with Eric she felt herself relax. Trying to think optimistically she considered it might be fine spending a couple of days with someone other than herself who had no knowledge of her rocky emotional state at the moment, pleasant even.

"I hate to leave you alone, but I really need to sleep. Will you be alright by yourself?" She wasn't even sure she wanted to leave him alone, but her body was not operating with her mind any longer.

He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and smiled a soft, gentle smile that Sookie had never seen before. "Good night, Sookie Stackhouse."

She began to mount the stairs, chuckling to herself. Some things you simply couldn't change. Hesitantly turning back to find him standing in the same exact place in the middle of her living room she tilted her head to the side before sheepishly asking if he would know when sunrise was. Once he assured her he would she turned back and began to drift off to sleep before she even made it into her bed.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry this took so long. It isn't even a chapter; think of it as more of an interlude if you will. For some reason I cannot move past a certain point and I thought it best to cut this chunk out instead of trying to force two ill fitting puzzle pieces together.

Also, I'm sorry to anyone who is a fan of the traditional version of "The One Where Eric Loses his Memory", but that is not this story. While the plot may follow the same general path, the relationship between Sookie and Eric is quite different because they are quite different. Not to say that they won't eventually be together, but in this story it would be unrealistic for Sookie to jump into bed (ha ha, keep reading) with Eric considering all she has been through. That's all. I hope you are all still enjoying, but feel free to let me know if you are not.

* * *

She woke in the ghost of a cold embrace. Squeezing her eyes closed tight she breathed deeply and swore she could taste the smell of him on the very tip of her tongue. Feeling her chest tighten as if her lungs had contracted and would never let go she buried her face deep into her pillow and focused on breathing. It was times like these that she felt the worst. Somewhere in between love and hate and hating that she loved him and confusion over all that entailed. It was difficult to separate the feelings she had for the Bill she loved from the ones she had for the stranger who betrayed her. In her mind they were not the same man and she knew it was unhealthy, that somehow she needed to merge those identities, but it was just too painful; too much to handle.

In her exhaustion she had not stopped to think of where she was sleeping. She had no recollection of walking into her bedroom and lying down on her bed and yet here she was under the covers, yet still fully dressed in her work uniform. After everything had happened with Bill her bed had just been a constant reminder of the intimate moments they had shared. Not just sexual, it reminded her of all the comfort and safety his presence provided as he held her while she slept. Then it had become a reminder of all the hurt and betrayal she had felt after discovering the truth of their romance. She always knew that one day she would once again sleep in her own bed by herself, but she had believed that that moment would be preceded by several strong drinks and copious amounts of mental preparation. Waking to find herself thrust into a situation she felt emotionally unprepared for was jarring and overwhelming, she knew it was going to be a staggering setback if she couldn't get a grip on it now.

When she relaxed enough to believe that her heart would not stop cold in her chest she rolled over onto her side. As she felt the phantom arms drift away from her memory she tentatively opened her eyes to be greeted by another pair.

Stifling a scream she slammed her eyes shut again and struggled to regain the even breathing she had worked so hard to establish. Her nerves were still prickling as she slowly opened one eye and then the other. "Holy shit, Eric. What are you doing in here?"

Without missing a beat he replied calmly, "You have had my blood."

She did not reply, but closed her eyes hoping he would leave. It was bad enough that she was going to have to explain details of who he was to him, but she had been hoping to leave out some of the more personal elements. It had occurred to her that perhaps since he had not sensed it immediately that he somehow would never realize it.

Ignoring her reaction he continued, "I was distracted before, I missed it somehow. But I was sitting downstairs and suddenly I could feel you. You are in so much pain."

She tried her best not to react, but simply to lie there with her eyes closed pretending as though it was all a dream. A horribly painful, uncomfortable dream. She could feel the soft brush of his fingertips wiping away the tears that were suddenly pooling down the side of her face into the pillow. Gasping from the unexpected touch she closed her eyes tighter and prayed he would not stop stroking her cheek. Leaning into his touch she savored the cool skin against her own. It was numb, as if not even there, as was the case with so many things in her life. Suddenly feeling foolish for taking such comfort in the gesture she pulled away and wiped at her eyes with blanket covered hands.

He ignored her brush off and placed his hand back at his side as though nothing had happened. "All those things Pam said."

"Eric- "

"Were they true?" It seemed like such a simple question. How was she of all people expected to know the truth about a vampire's feelings towards her? Realizing just how true that was her heart seized up with the thought that she would never be able to trust anyone's feelings for her ever again.

"I don't think so," she answered tentatively. Sighing deeply the swell of loneliness pulled her heart into her stomach and more tears threatened to fall. "There was a time I would have wanted to believe they were. But feelings are fleeting and can be misread. I think you may have had been confused by what you felt for me. So, if you are asking if we were in love…no. Pam was just being Pam."

"You are a brave woman to have stood up to her the way you did." He said it with such conviction she wasn't sure how to go about questioning it. Figuring it was better to ignore the whole situation altogether she rolled over onto her other side.

The truth of the matter was that lying there, face to face with the Eric in her bed reminded her of a dream she had had about him so long ago. They had been facing one another, unabashedly naked somewhere in between post and pre coitus. It had only been a dream, but she remembered the strong feelings of love and desire radiating from Eric's skin so vividly she would have sworn they were real. A combination of lust from remembering where the dream progressed to and guilt for feeling those feelings for Eric drained her of any desire to carry on a conversation with the man in her bed. The man who had Eric's body, but not his mind or personality or any of the other little things that made Eric Eric.

Towards the end it had been a source of great conflict between Sookie and Bill. Her desire for Eric, that it. For reasons that extended far beyond her grasp of knowledge she felt drawn to him in a way she never felt drawn to Bill. It was more than his blood and his body; it was his soul. For the briefest of moments she had witnessed the depth and complexity of the real Eric and had since been haunted with her desire for him. After Bill had ripped her heart from chest she had entertained thoughts of him swooping in to save her from herself. However, long nights alone howling through her soul-shredding pain produced nothing but resentment, which eventually gave way to a feeling of foolishness. She was no one, why would someone like Eric Northman be concerned with her?

"Stupidity is not bravery," she mumbled into a fistful of blankets and concentrated on being invisible. As a young child she felt so burdened by the thoughts of others that it seemed like disappearing would solve everyone's problems. Already thought of as a strange child no one paid much attention as she spent long hours laying in the grass staring up at the sky willing herself into thin air.

Feeling the mattress shift under her, she was aware that he was lying incredible close to her body without touching her. The cool air that typically surrounded vampires gently pressed against the back of her neck and she shivered at the thought of his proximity.

"This feels…right."

The low, deep rumble of his voice caused the muscles in her stomach to contract almost painfully. The words to describe what she was feeling completely eluded her leaving only a dull ache of want and need. There was nothing to be said and she closed her eyes focusing inordinate amounts of attention of the rise and fall of her breath in contrast to his still, dead body. Eventually the dark tide of sleep pulled her under into blissful nothingness.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A couple of things. First off, ignore that. Second, I realize that almost all of my author's notes are self-deprecating, so I will only say nice things about myself in this one.

Damn, I am good.

Oh and there wouldn't happen to be any betas out there reading my story would there? I need one and it would save me bunches of trouble trying to figure out how one pursues a beta if one is already reading. Just thought I would ask.

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A cool late afternoon breeze swept into the room disturbing Sookie from a restless sleep. Opening her eyes slowly she rolled over until she was on her back, limbs strewn out and looked up at the ceiling in an unfocused stare. As she allowed herself to think back on the events of the night before she became overwhelmed with the sense that it might have all been a dream and she had hallucinated her way through the entire ordeal. Except for the fact that she was most certainly sleeping in her own bed, the very bed that she had spent months avoiding.

She vividly remembered the ache of longing she had felt for Bill and the tears that she had cried for him. It angered her beyond words that she could not stop herself from missing him. She wanted nothing more just to hate him and be done with the whole thing, but her love haunted her and left her needing things she did not want to feel.

The stiff polyester legs of her work pants bunched uncomfortably around her knees, distracting her from her thoughts and she wished that she had taken the time to change before falling asleep. With a sigh of resignation she rolled out of bed and sleepily padded over to her window. Staring out into the gray drizzle she fleeting disappointment at having slept through her day off, but was grateful she had gotten the much-needed rest. She wondered idly if Eric was out there somewhere, wondered if he could feel her beneath all of that earth. Sundown seemed so far away.

Rather than wasting what was left of her day she decided the best thing to do would be to put space between herself and the painful memories of her home. There was a long list of errands she had been avoiding for a while now. Errands usually involved coming into contact with people that Sookie did not necessarily want to engage with. Instead of going through the torture of finding a way to be polite to these people she was up and avoiding them altogether. And her life right along with them.

Crossing her arms at the hem of her shirt she lifted it up and over her head only to release it into mid air allowing it to land where it may. With her arms outstretched to the sky she reached back and stretched her spine enjoying the feel of the cool air against her skin. Her pants proved to be a little more complicated in her drowsy state, but she managed to undo them only to step out of them and leave them in a heap on her bedroom floor as she walked to the bathroom in only her bra and panties.

Not usually one for primping, Sookie performed all the necessary routine skipping a shower in favor of just pulling her pale blond hair into a ponytail high on her head. Standing in front of the mirror brushing her teeth in a detached, rote manner she allowed her mind to wander. How Eric had ended up on her street, in front of her house with absolutely no recollection of who he was? It was highly doubtful that he had been on his way there since it had been months since she had heard even so much as a peep from any vampire, let alone Eric. Rinsing the remaining toothpaste from her mouth she gave herself a sorrowful look in the mirror. At some point when she had not been looking her face had sunken in leaving her gaunt and aged past her time. Food had not been much of a priority the past few months and while she had not been starving she certainly had not been eating well. Always having existed somewhere in between thin and athletic the muscle tone was mostly gone from her body now, leaving only thin limbs and painful angles.

As she made her way into the kitchen her stomach turned at the thought of food and she frowned severely at the lack of anything inside of her fridge. It had been on her list of things to do anyway, but she thought it might be best if she went to the store sooner rather than later. Grabbing her keys and bag off of the counter she marched out to her car feeling just a bit lighter than she did yesterday, not entirely whole but more like her old self.

After having mindless walked the aisles of Walmart many times in her life it was easy for Sookie to rush through shopping and she made it back home in record time even remembering to pick up True Blood. Setting her bags down on the counter and toeing her shoes off in the middle of the kitchen floor it occurred to her that she had a bit of time still to go until sunset. The idea of relaxing in a bath appealed to her more than food, so after putting away the perishables and quickly toasting a couple slices of bread she took her meal upstairs.

She sat on the bathroom floor eating her toast as the bathtub filled with steaming water and when the bath was full she stripped off her clothes and sunk into the scalding water. The water burned her skin, but she enjoyed the feeling, savoring the way it caused the blood to rush to her head and the tingles it made in her toes.

Breathing deeply in the suffocating humidity of the water the feelings in her heart suddenly swarmed, overcoming her in a wave of emotion. She found she was crying silently, but it felt wonderful. It was as though everything she had been holding onto for months was slowly leaving her body and the only way she could expel it was by giving in to her tears. And so she cried, wailing alone and with abandon by herself in the dim light of the bathroom. She watched her hands grip the sides of the tub and marveled at how they seemed to belong to someone else. So small and fragile, as if her bones could pop through her skin at any moment. And just as quickly as it came on it was done. She had spent so many nights shedding tears that had pained her to hold back, but it was only now, here, that giving in so wholly felt cathartic. For the first time in as long as she could remember she relaxed her entire body, completely lost in the sensations of her breath in her lungs and the silence in her head.

She was unsure of how much time had passed since she had first gotten into the tub but one look at the window indicated it was much longer than she had thought. The sun was well past the horizon. She knew she should get out of the bath and find Eric, the water was still warm and she was just so relaxed. That was until she heard footsteps in the hall and saw Eric approach her open bathroom door. Letting out a loud shriek she sloshed water up over the sides of the tub as she scrambled to cover her naked body. "Naked, here!" she yelled and stared in disbelief as he stood unmoving in the doorway, a blank expression upon his face.

"I did not want to be alone," he spoke softly, averting his gaze so that he was no longer looking at Sookie. "I can leave if you are uncomfortable."

She stared at him helplessly, her mouth agape. Was Eric Northman really standing only a few feet away from her while she was naked and completely vulnerable without any moves towards her? The longer she studied him the more she realized that he just like her, a sad and lonely person deeply confused about the world around them. That pained look in his eyes was one she had felt deep within herself. Breathing deeply she closed her eyes too afraid to look at him as she said, "You can stay."

Opening her eyes she found that he had folded his long, lanky frame into a sitting position against the wall a safe distance away. Close enough so that they could talk quietly, but far enough that he could not see over the tall sides of the bathtub without straining to look. Her arms were hugging her legs to her chest and she shifted so that she maintained the pose, but was now facing him. She noticed he was still shirtless, but his pants were free of the dirt and mud she had expected from spending the night in the rain. It led her to believe he had not been wearing any pants and she wondered where he kept them during the day, imagining his naked form walking through her yard to retrieve them upon waking. The thought appealed to her more than she wanted to admit and she thought she should talk to him instead of allowing her imagination to run wild.

"I might have some clothes for you. I'm sorry, I went out today but I didn't even think of it. I can pick you up some things tomorrow after work."

"I would appreciate that."

The conversation dead before it even began, Sookie sat awkwardly in the bath struggling to think of anything but Eric's naked body.

"I got you some more True Blood. It is downstairs on the counter if you want to go get it." It had occurred to her some time in between him appearing and sitting down that at some point she was going to need to get out of the bath. Although she was fairly certain he would not try anything fresh, despite her nagging desires, she was also sure that she was not about to stand up in her birthday suit exposing everything for him to see.

"Thank you." She was getting nowhere.

"Did you have a nice…ground?" It sounded worse out loud than it did in her head. This was shaping up to be a painfully awkward night.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"A little," she admitted with a smile, burying her face in her knees unable to meet his eyes. "I mean, we can talk," she quickly amended, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "But, it would just make me feel a whole lot better if there was something between me and you and the world but air and water."

He stood up and she squeezed her legs together just a little tighter trying to avoid staring at the wonderful way in which his muscles rippled across his shoulders with every movement of his arms. Christ, she needed to put some clothes on. "Wait," she called out to him almost releasing an arm from her legs but pulling it back at the last second. "Could you hand me that towel first?"

Being the perfect gentleman she knew him not to be he laid the towel gently over the edge of the bath careful not to get it wet, without even so much as a sly glance back in her direction. She was floored. He was almost too good to be true. She watched his back appreciatively as he walked silently out of the room, the muscles there tensing and releasing with even the slightest swing of his arms.

After he left Sookie dressed quickly, trying to dry off her body at the same time she was pulling on clothes. Her hair had somehow managed to become unruly ropes of knots that were doing nothing but becoming entangled in each other. She attempted briefly to deal with it, but following several failed attempts she abandoned all hope and left them loose to soak through her t-shirt. Flustered and nervous, though she didn't know why, she cautiously made her way downstairs to find Eric sitting on her couch, his tall body stretched out to occupy as much space as possible. She smiled to herself thinking how strange it was that someone could lose all of their memories of who they are but some things are simply inherent.

She cleared her throat softly as she entered the room. She knew there was no need to announce her presence as he would have heard her anywhere in the house without making an effort, but she considered it the polite thing to do and felt a little ridiculous just barging in on the assumption he was listening for her. Walking past him and into the kitchen she was well aware of his eyes following her.

As she popped a True Blood into the microwave and grabbed a cookie from the jar on the counter she wondered what she should talk to Eric about. Never before had she been at a loss for words around him and now she fumbled around for anything at all. The truth was a polite Eric was kind of freaking her out. She had grown so used to the vampire she knew who dominated every conversation, every situation and did it with charm and a smirk. The man in her living room was soft spoken and mild mannered and everything Eric was not. She hadn't a clue what to say to him.

When the microwave beeped she pulled the bottle out and grabbed a napkin on her way back into the living room. Wordlessly she held the bottle out to Eric who accepted it with a warm, grateful smile. Instead of sitting next to him she tucked herself into the opposite corner of the couch, assuming the same position she had taken in the bath.

"Are you cold?" His deep voice shook her from her reverie.

"Mm? Oh, yeah, I guess a little." What she wanted was to lift her damp hair off of her, but it had soaked her t-shirt so thoroughly she was certain she would be exposing much too much. Sookie watched with great interest as Eric leaned forward and pulled the afghan from the back of the couch and wrapped it gently around her body, pulling her hair up from the inside and tenderly lying it back down on her shoulders.

Shuddering more from the contact than cold she stared at him, unable to think of what to do next. "Thank you," she breathed softly and noticed that he had yet to pull away from her, his hands still resting upon her arms.

"It is such an odd feeling."

Sookie furrowed her brow and lightly cocked her head to one side. She understood vampires were always cold, but she had never thought that they felt it the way that humans did. "What is?"

"Being close to you. It feels so familiar. It is as if my body knows you and my mind agrees but they just cannot seem to close the gap to recognition." And with that he brought one large, strong hand up to her face and held it there for the longest moment.

She was certain that her heart had just stopped. Nausea swirled in her stomach and the room swam about her. "Don't. Please."

She hated the pleading in her voice, but it was just all too much and he was only making it worse. Backing away from his touch and into the corner of the couch she looked into his eyes knowing full well she was on the brink of tears and he could see it.

"What is it?" His face was full of sympathy and hurt.

"Nothing." Making an attempt at a smile despite the tears that were threatening to fall, she waved away his concern with a dismissive flick of her hand.

"Sookie, did I hurt you?"

"What? No, you just touched my face."

"No, not just now. Have I done something to you in the past? Is that how we know each other? Everything Pam said…" He trailed off.

"You are the sheriff of area five, which is were my ex-boyfriend lives. That is how we know each other." It was the first time she had said it out loud. Curiously enough no one had asked what had happened between her and Bill. The longer it went unmentioned the less she felt like broaching the subject with anyone. She felt proud though; she had gotten it out and remained in one piece.

"So it is him, then? The one who causes you so much pain?"

"Yes," she answered simply. It was out there now. The world had not come to an end and she was still there to see it. She began to tell him about Bill with trepidation. Leaving out key pieces of information, such as the fact that she was not entirely human and the heated kiss they had shared one of the last times they had seen one another, she laid the story out for him with surprising ease. He watched her with a look of sympathy and she felt as though he shared her pain as she neared the end. With a deep breath and without a single tear being shed she looked into his eyes as she waited for his response.

"He is a fool." His hand reached out and grasped one of her tiny hands in his. The feeling of his strong hand around hers was unexpected and Sookie was surprised at how much comfort the simple act brought her.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, but unsure of what came next she broke the silence. "It's the first time I told anyone that story."

"I am honored you would chose to share it with me." He sounded so sincere. She wanted so badly to believe this was the true Eric. Leaning her head back onto the couch she allowed her eyes to remain open the smallest bit in order to watch Eric's hand over her own as his thumb slowly dragged back and forth over her knuckles. The pull of exhaustion swiftly came over her and she let go, surrendering herself to the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the delay. The first draft of this chapter had it going in a very different direction and it just felt forced and wrong. I am having some problems connecting with the story right now and I would actually really enjoy feedback on this if anyone has any suggestions.

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She could distinctly remember the feel of his strong hands as they tangled roughly in her hair pulling her closer to him in aching desperation. How wonderful his body had felt up against hers, how strong and unrelentingly passionate had he held her as his lips pursued hers in ways she had only dreamt about. She recalled how small he had made her feel; yet so powerful emboldened with the knowledge of how he needed her to reciprocate his kisses. It was with those thoughts that she drifted back to consciousness. Awake, but unable to open her eyes she was vaguely aware of a hand gently brushing through her long, tangled hair. Sighing with contentment she snuggled blindly into the pillow beneath her head lost in the soothing ministrations.

Somewhere in the distance she could hear a low conversation being carried on in a language she could not decipher. Enjoying the way the hand stroked her face every now and then she let her consciousness drift. Thinking back to the dream that had awoken her she likened the strong feel of the hand in her hair with that of Eric's. Though, these fingers did not seek anything from her, offering only comfort without asking anything in return. A groan of appreciation escaped her mouth before she could stop it and the hand in her hair froze mid stroke. A low chuckle sounded from above her and she squeezed her eyes shut, deeply mortified by what she would find if she opened them.

"Clearly you have not died from embarrassment as your heart still beats. Care to join us, then?" There was no mistaking that voice.

"Pam. How lovely of you to visit. If you would excuse me I need to go drown in shame." She couldn't bear to look at Eric, whose hand she was now certain had been caressing her hair and whose lap her head had been resting in until just a moment ago. It would have been evident by her heart beat that it was working her into a frenzy and the knowledge that he was well aware of her state and continued on anyway was just too much.

Just then a loud, uninhibited laugh erupted from Eric. Head thrown back, eyes closed, he rode out his laughter unaware of the two women in the room staring at him in disbelief. Sookie was positive that she had never heard anything close to resembling laughter from Eric and by the way Pam was staring at him in wide eyed surprise she assumed it was not a common occurrence. As his outburst faded she was still flushed with embarrassment and took a seat in the chair furthest from him.

"Goodie. Now I can get to the important stuff."

"This should be good," Sookie drawled and rolled her eyes for emphasis.

"Watch it, human." It wasn't exactly a threat, but it wasn't entirely a joke either. If she were going to do anything serious she would only be screwing over her free daytime security, though there was plenty she could do without putting her out of commission. She gestured for Pam to continue and pulled a pillow out from behind her, hugging it to her chest she hid behind it slightly.

"We have had recent dealings with a witch who has been trying to take over a portion of Eric's businesses. Last night we were in the office when she entered and announced that she had changed her offer. In exchange for Eric's company she would only take a third of what she was previously demanding.

"Eric's company?"

"Yes, his company." The leering manner in which Pam regarded Eric left little to the imagination about what she had meant. Sookie blushed and looked away, but Eric broke out into a proud smile.

"I have a reputation." His beaming expression sent Sookie huffing and scowling as she fidgeted around in her chair.

"An excellent one," Pam purred. "It has been quite some time, but I myself can attest to your skills."

"Eww, I'm right here, remember? Could we please move on? I am so sorry that I said anything."

"My master declined in a most insulting manner. While it proved to be endlessly entertaining the witch was furious. One moment Eric was beside me and the next," Pam made a sweeping gesture with her hands.

"Well why didn't you say any of this last night?"

"I had thought at the time that we would simply hunt down the witch and fix everything. However, finding Hallow has proven more difficult than anticipated. Last night if all had gone according to plan this would all be a moot point and since you are the one so insistent on not being involved more than necessary I felt little need to share all of this with you. It would seem now that you must keep Eric with you until this is all resolved."

"Can I not be of some assistance? Surely my mind does not affect my ability to fight."

"Eric, it would be most unfortunate if word of your condition got out. We cannot risk such a weakness being made known to our enemies. Sookie will be able to give you a place to lay low while we hunt down the witch. When the time comes you will be able to fight." Pam regarded Eric sadly and Sookie felt sorry her. The affection Pam felt for him was obvious and even to Sookie's eyes it was clear that Pam was distraught. Ever cool, impassive Pam was outwardly expressing weakness and Sookie could not imagine how distraught she must be to show emotion in such a manner.

"I want to be paid." The words left her mouth before she had time to consider them. It would be best if she kept this strictly business; doing things out of the goodness of one's heart caused attachments that she couldn't afford in her current mental state. "Fifty Thousand."

Pam scoffed loudly. "Thirty."

"Sixty."

Pam laughed loudly before breaking into a genuine smile. "Fifty it is, Miss Stackhouse. Now if you do not mind, there are things I wish to discuss with my master."

A slight smile tugged at the corners of Sookie's mouth as she got off the chair and headed towards the kitchen. "Goodnight, Pam," she called over her shoulder.

"Goodnight, Sookie," Pam called out in her familiar drawl and Sookie laughed quietly as she busied herself with work.

She was in the middle of putting clothes into the washer when Eric appeared in the doorway. The way he towered in her house stirred feelings deep inside of her. It wasn't something that she could vocalize, but there was just something so right about his displacement of her life that made her heart ache and her stomach feel empty. It was as if she had been missing something all along, something she had not known she was missing, but now feeling what could be made it hurt all the more that she did not have it. Pushing aside her feelings she finished putting in the last piece when she turned to Eric.

"Let me wash your jeans." She tried not to stare at his body so he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. As it was he had been shirtless the entire time so what was ninety minutes without his pants going to do?

"I have nothing else to wear."

She started to tell him it was perfectly fine, she had already seen all he had to offer, but suddenly remembered something and left him standing in the doorway as she rushed into the unused spare room at the end of the hall. Emerging victoriously she held out a pair of old gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt as she walked back towards him. "They were my brothers at some point. I'm not sure they will be the best fit, but it's better than walking around naked as a jaybird. You can change in the bathroom if you want, it's just over there," she rambled on pointlessly as he stared blankly at her. Without a word and without breaking eye contact he began to undo his jeans and stepped out of them. Holding them slightly away from his body, he offered them to her as reached for the clothes in her hands.

Sookie's cheeks burned furiously and she turned away before it became too awkward.

"Pam says you are a telepath."

"Oh?" she answered feigning indifference, but knowing the way her voice raised at the end was just a little too high. It was not very convincing.

"She says you are fae."

"Does she now?"

"It is true?"

"Yes."

"You are angry with me." He sounded like child who had known he had said something wrong. It was sweet and strange at the same time. Eric usually said whatever he pleased and was rarely apologetic.

"No." What she was, though, was angry with Pam. Fucking Pam, always opening her mouth when there was no need to. It was a concern of hers that Eric was mostly driven by his knowledge of what she was and it had been so nice to be with a version of Eric who was blissfully unaware of her fairy nature. Pam had gone and ruined that.

"But you are angry?"

"Eric! Stop!" She snapped the dryer door shut and marched past him back into the kitchen. He followed close behind and though she did not turn to look she felt him there, hovering. What only moments ago had felt like a comforting presence now felt suffocating and overbearing. "You don't know me, stop assuming you do just because you can feel what I feel."

"I am sorry."

She sighed deeply. It wasn't his fault. He was just trying to make sense of everything and she knew she should be more patient. "No, I'm sorry. It's just…I don't know. I know that you are aware of what I am feeling, but it is easier for me to ignore that if you stop trying to read me by it. Just let me feel what I feel and if I need to tell you something I will. Okay?"

"Yes, I understand. Again, I am sorry. Things are just disjointed right now and I am trying to figure everything out. It isn't easy when I am having feelings and I cannot decide what they mean. And then there are your feelings, which are difficult to decipher. I will try better to do that silently, though."

"Thank you," she said quietly and stood awkwardly in front of him. "What else did Pam have to say?"

"She told me all about my duties as Sheriff, the vampires under me, the bar I own. She is complicated, no?"

Sookie smiled warmly. That was an understatement, Pam was nothing if not complicated. "She is concerned for you."

Neither of them spoke for a long time and time passed excruciatingly slow with palpable tension. Sookie shifted her weight from one foot to the other looking around blankly, trying desperately to think of something to discuss with Eric. Talking to Eric had always been so easy and unforced. He was honest and open. Sure, he was irritating from time to time, but that was just Eric and he had a way of being charming even when he was being an ass.

As her mind wandered she found herself appreciating the way Eric looked in the clothes she had given him. Luckily Jason had taken to wearing oversized clothes in his teen years and the sweatpants fit Eric perfectly. Though she could not see his backside she imagined his wonderfully muscular, piece of art ass looked delicious in the material. Chastising herself for having such thoughts she felt herself blush and wondered if Eric would ask what she was thinking of. Apparently staying true to his word he said nothing, but a small smile appeared on his face. When their eyes met they both laughed uncomfortably and with a wave of her hand she motioned for him to follow her.

She pulled the afghan off the couch and wrapped it around herself. Sitting down in the corner she looked up to Eric and then down to the other corner of the couch. When he sat down it was closer than she expected and she was surprised how pleasingly solid his body felt as it sunk down in the couch next to her. It had been quite some time since she had enjoyed any one else's company and she was reveling in the feeling of another presence when his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"What do you normally do at night?" She was touched that he seemed to want to know her better, despite her little outburst earlier.

"Sleep," she said with a smile. "I don't really have much of a social life lately. I've been spending a lot of time catching up on my sleep. Sometimes I work late, so when I get home I don't have energy for much else."

"What is it that you do for work?"

"I'm a waitress at Merlotte's. It isn't too far from here."

"Do you enjoy it?"

She thought for a moment. It was not as if she had many choices in her field of work. There was a limited supply of jobs for a telepath with little schooling and life experience. Not to mention that Bon Temps was not exactly a big city with many opportunities. Though, all things considered she found that she did indeed enjoy her job; the people she encountered, the routine of the work, she was good at it and while it could stand to pay a little better it was enjoyable and she told him so.

"Have you no man to take care of you?"

"I don't need a man to take care of me," she replied defensively. "I do very well all by myself, thank you very much."

He nodded and smiled. She liked the way he smiled. It was not a smirk, not taunting or mischievous. It was genuine and warm, something she never considered Eric to be. She surprised herself by saying so out loud, "I like seeing you smile."

Eric's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Do I not smile?"

"Not like that, no."

"Am I very serious?"

She paused. "No. It just isn't the same."

He seemed to accept that and looked thoughtfully past her into the night-darkened window. She stifled a yawn and curled just a little bit more under the blanket. Sleep pulled at her and she fought back, struggling to think clearly through the fog that was quickly overtaking her.

"Go to sleep, you are tired. I will be fine."

"Okay," she agreed, too tired to fight any longer. "Goodnight, Eric." As she padded slowly up the stairs she heard him faintly call to her.

"Goodnight, Sookie."

It was another late morning for Sookie and as she readied herself for work the world seemed just a bit lighter than it had yesterday. Her shoulders slumped a little less under the weight of her grief and she was almost afraid to admit it but she felt something very close to resembling happy. She scribbled a work schedule and stuck it to her fridge, hoping Eric would find it and not worry if she was not back before he rose. Locking the door behind her, she left for work in the brisk cold of the afternoon with a smile on her face.

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A/N: Alright, folks. Now it's your turn. Where should it go from here?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I've had this chapter outlined for a while, but I wasn't really feeling it so I held off writing it. That is until I received a request for it. Far be it for me to disappoint.

I want to thank you guys so much for the suggestions. It is killing me that Eric really needs to get his memories back for everything to happen. I don't want to rush it, but I really miss writing _badass_Eric so hopefully we will get there without me jumping the gun and having him wake up tomorrow all restored. Also, it is not in this chapter, but we are about to take a huge leap from canon so I hope you are all prepared!

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Sookie glanced longingly at the setting sun as she placed a glass of water in front of her waiting customer. There was still an hour left in her shift, but all she had thought about since it began was leaving. The day had gone by smooth enough, but it had been so long since she had felt as free and light as she felt today and it took every ounce of concentration she had to focus on the simplest of tasks. In Bon Temps she was widely regarded as crazy so no one took particular note when she stared blankly at them as they each repeated their orders at least twice each. When she finally managed to write them down she would burst into nervous laughter and excuse herself, trying with all her might to ignore the incessant thoughts following behind.

It was roughly half way through that last hour while Sookie was standing behind the bar sorting through her bills when Holly approached her. Holly had only been working for Sam for the past couple of months and Sookie was not even quite sure when she had been hired. A decent enough waitress and a seemingly overfriendly woman with boundary issues, there was nothing outwardly suspicious about Holly. There was something about her that just seemed off to Sookie, though whatever it was she could not put her finger on it.

For the most part she had attributed this to the fact that most people in the surrounding area were aware, or at least unconsciously aware of her gift and perhaps someone had mentioned it to her in passing. As a general rule Sookie did not like to invade the privacy of her coworkers and tried her best not to listen in on them, but the strange vibes that Sookie received from Holly kept her checking in from time to time. She had yet to hear her detailing any murders in mind, but all the same Sookie was trusting of her instincts, however awfully they may have led her astray in the past.

"Almost out of here, huh?"

Without looking up from her work Sookie offered as genuine a smile as she could muster. "Yeah."

"You don't suppose you could do me a favor, do you?" Holly's expectant face peered over at Sookie from across the bar. "Trade shifts tomorrow?" The quiet, high pitch of Holly's voice made her cringe. Tomorrow she was supposed to be working the lunch shift, the lesser paying shift but a wholly stress free environment. People didn't drink quite as much during the day as they did at night and as a result people tipped less than they would if they had a few beers under their belts. It was busy, usually, with its steady stream of local regulars, but not overwhelming. Relaxing, even. In short, Sookie preferred the day shift, but couldn't believe that someone would willingly abandon a Saturday night shift. It occurred to her in passing that perhaps she shouldn't work it and chance leaving Eric alone, but she didn't think it was detrimental enough that she couldn't. After all, he had survived over a thousand years without her and one night was not going to erase all of that.

"I wouldn't normally ask…" Holly continued.

"No, no. It's fine. Sure, we can trade shifts." And as Sookie plastered a smile on her face she worried that Pam might hunt her down and drain her of every last bit of blood for abandoning Eric in his time of need. "I could always use the money." And it was true. Although she had an agreement pending with Pam and Eric, god knows how long it would take for that money to come through. Waiting tables just didn't pay the bills sometimes and it made her feel better about life when she had extra money in the bank.

"Excellent. Thank you so much, really. You don't know how grateful I am." Sookie smiled and nodded once more before returning to her bills. She mentally scolded herself for being so unchristian and suspecting Holly of some horrific wrongdoing. It could be that recently Sookie was struggling with the concept of trust or perhaps it was that in her world lately everyone did have untrustworthy motives.

As Sookie headed to the office to collect her things she caught a glimpse of Sam sitting in the chair behind his desk rifling through papers, a deep frown etched into his forehead. She quietly reflected on the time they had known each other and how he had aged so wonderfully. The combination of boyish charm and the gruff masculinity his face had taken on in recent years stirred feelings deep within her. She though of how Bill and Eric would never age. They would remain young forever, as she grew older and older. Eventually the taunt skin would loose its firmness, her body would sag and slowly decay. And then no vampire would want her. Sookie wished that she could just forget it all and allow herself to love Sam, to grow old with him. But she was standing in the doorway watching him and that was where she always would be.

Leaning against the doorframe she toed the door gently to attract Sam's attention. "Howdy, stranger."

A warm smile overtook his face and her heart ached at the soft creases that formed at the corners of his eyes. "How ya doin, Sook?"

"Oh, you know me. I always bounce back." She made her way to the shelves that held the staff's personal belongings and began to gather her things.

"You look better." _As if she has ever looked any less_, he added mentally.

Sookie approached the desk and bent over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you for caring," she breathed softly into his ear, lightly nuzzling the rough whiskers on his cheek.

"How could I not?" he answered just as quietly and took her hand in his own. They both paused, lost in their own private thoughts. It felt as though all she would have to do was take his face in his hands and kiss him. In this moment she could give herself to him wholly and be done with the world of vampire politics, which plagued her nightmares. Sam would love her, keep her safe, father her children and grow old with her. If only she could give him the same. With a soft sigh and a gentle squeeze she dropped his hand and walked out of the office, looking back as she reached the door to give a wave.

The drive home was short, but it had never felt so long as her old car rattled down the worn country roads. The familiar exhaustion weighed heavily on her as she drove into her driveway. Grabbing her things from the seat beside her she did a quick review of her mental checklist before exiting the car and starting towards her house.

An involuntary smile founds its way to her lips at the knowledge that she could sense the void of his mind insider her house. Suppressing her emotions to the best of her ability she unlocked her back door and stepped inside the house. She placed her bags down on the kitchen table and walked through the rooms searching for Eric. Not seeing him anywhere she thought that perhaps he had not yet awoken. Just because the sun went down didn't necessarily mean that vampires got up, did it? Was it possible that vampires enjoyed sleeping in just as much as she did? Climbing the stairs to her bedroom she began to search in earnest for Eric as a dull fear settled in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh," she called out involuntarily, relieved at the sight of Eric's large form in her bedroom. "There you are. Did you get my note?"

"Yes," he smiled and stepped towards her. "That was very clever."

"What are you doing in here?" She walked towards him and saw that he held a picture in his hand. Reaching out to take the frame she gently caressed the glass before placing it back on her dresser. "That was my Gran."

"You feel great affection for her." He stated this as he knew it to be true and he did. She looked up at his blank expression and said nothing. She knew that he could feel exactly how she felt without her having to say anything. "She is gone?"

Sookie nodded slowly as she reached out once again to straighten the photo.

"Did you remember anything today?" She cleared her throat and opened a drawer to retrieve a pair of sweatpants and a tank top.

"Not anything that I did not know yesterday."

"I'm sure Pam is doing her best," she responded confidently. Grabbing her clothing she made a move towards the bathroom to change out of her uniform.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," he called out softly behind her. It was not lewd or suggestive; it was kind and oddly flattering. Sookie felt her cheeks redden at the idea of boldly stripping down and changing in front of Eric in her darkened bedroom.

"I'm not ashamed," she responded with a coy smile and she closed the door between them.

Upon exiting the bathroom she found Eric perched on the end of her bed, elbows on his thighs, staring with fixed concentration at his hands stretched out before him. She watched him for a few moments before she walked over and sat beside him.

"I give up. What are we looking at?"

He raised his eyes to meet hers and she was consumed with the sadness she found there. "I do not even know my own hands." Her heart broke for him. There were no words that she had to give, so she slipped one of her small hands into his and threaded their fingers together. They both looked down at their joined hands and slowly his thumb began to stroke the outside of her wrist. Methodically he drew his large thumb up and down the side of her hand and she felt her eyes slowly shut as she allowed him to continue. The intensity of his touch was unlike anything Sookie had ever experienced. This was not sex, it was not kissing or groping. It was nothing more than hand holding, really. But never had anything ignited a fire such as the one Eric was stoking with each pass of flesh against hers.

"We should go downstairs," she announced abruptly, pulling them both from the haze they found themselves in. If holding hands felt that incredible Sookie was worried what might come next. It was just too soon to begin a complicated fling with someone who wouldn't remember it and who would possibly kill her if he did. Or perhaps even if he didn't. The likelihood of Eric killing her for no good reason at all, memories or not, was always somewhere in between probable and high.

Eric said nothing as she took back her hand and rose from the bed. "Are you hungry?"

"I had a True Blood already. I hope that is alright." His deep voice rumbled in his chest and Sookie had to take a deep breath to rein in the hormones that were running rampant through her body.

"Yes, of course," she answered and turned suddenly to leave the room. As she walked down the stairs feeling his presence close behind her she tried to rationalize that it was the heat of the moment. Poor Eric was only seeking comfort and there she was panting like a bitch in heat. It had also been quite some time since she had physical contact of any kind; the only reasonable explanation was that she was experiencing some sort of sensory overload.

A singular heavy knock at the door pulled Sookie from her thoughts and she stopped mid step, flinging out an arm to stop Eric.

"Wait here," she whispered and went to take another step when a cool hand reached out and stopped her.

"What if it is someone who wishes you harm?"

She silently reached out with her mind and was met with a blank space. "It's a vampire," she whispered again, though this time much softer, afraid that who ever it was on the other side of the door could hear her. "The only vampires with an invitation are you and Pam, so if it is anyone else they can't come in. I'll be fine."

"I will be close by," he murmured into her ear sending chills up her spine.

She barely registered the fact that he had disappeared as she stood in front of the door and wished for the umpteenth time that she had invested in a peephole. As the door swung open to reveal her visitor Sookie could only stand and stare in shock at the figure before her.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: [Looks around] Yeah, so I can't believe it's been two months. I am so sorry to leave y'all hanging like that. Some of you might know that I needed a little break from this story so we parted ways for awhile, but I have been working in earnest to give you something. And here it is! Life has gotten a little hectic lately so it might be a little while before I update again, but this story is on the front burner for now. Enjoy :)

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"Hey, what are you doing here?" It had been quite some time since Sookie had seen Jessica this close up. Sure, they worked in the same restaurant, but it was very rare that they worked the same shift. If she knew Jessica was working the shift after hers she made sure that she was gone before sunset. It wasn't as if she didn't like Jessica, to a degree they had even become friends, but she was a constant, painful reminder of Bill and it just hurt too badly to have to look her in the eyes and pretend everything was all right.

The effusive redhead held her hand up sharply, much quicker than the human eye could follow, to display a diamond on her ring finger. "Hoyt proposed!" She squealed in delight and reached out to embrace Sookie. Young still, Jessica had not yet acclimated to the ways of vampires, clinging to her human impulses such as hugs. Sookie supposed that this was part of the reason she liked Jessica so much.

"Congratulations," Sookie said. She was slightly confused, but felt genuinely happy for Jessica. "Shouldn't you go tell Bill?" It wasn't that she was trying to get rid of her, but Pam was paying her good money to keep Eric's location under wraps and inviting Jessica in to witness his current state would hardly be earning her a bonus. She was all too painfully aware that she had no idea where Eric was lurking at that exact point in time and she only hoped he had the good sense not to be discovered.

Jessica pulled back and gave her a puzzled look. Slowly that look turned to one of pity and she reached out one of her thin, cold hands and placed it on Sookie's arm. "Bill has been gone for months. I thought you knew."

"Gone?" Everything around Sookie slowly faded into haze. She couldn't focus on Jessica or where Eric might be hidden. She knew that part of her shouldn't care, but she couldn't help herself. Had she driven Bill off so easily? Was he all right? "Do you know where he is?"

"Um, not really. He came home one night and said you had ended things and he needed to get away. He was in a hurry. It was all very strange because I had just told him I was not ready to be alone, I thought we had come to some child-maker understanding, but all of a sudden he was just leaving."

Sookie felt the color drain out of her face and she stumbled backwards blindly to the couch. Her couch, her fortress of safety where she had, for so many months, sought the solace of its soft confines. She liked the way it seemed to embrace her body, as if it knew she needed to be nestled, almost swallowed, by its cushions to escape the horrors of real life. For days now that feeling of needing her place of refuge had been gone, but now it was back, roaring through her ears blocking out all the sharp corners of reality.

It occurred to her that perhaps the queen had not taken kindly to Bill's failure to procure her. She wasn't certain why she suddenly felt so very cold, but she couldn't help shake the feeling that Bill's absence was the sign of something horrible to come. Or someone. A dull ache drew her attention towards her hands and she looked down to see what was causing the sensation. With a detached fascination she saw that she had pierced through her own skin with her nails while clenching her hands into fists. Small, half moon impressions dotted along her palms. The tiny beads of blood forming at the wounds just hung there, heavy and thick, almost fake looking and perhaps if she had not had such extensive first hand experience of blood she would have doubted that it was real at all. Unfortunately she knew all too well that it looked exactly as it should, though that didn't prompt her to do anything about it as she continued to weave in and out of the present.

"Maybe you could come by tomorrow, Jessica? I'm not feeling so good right now." Her voice was shaking and distant. She knew Jessica was aware of the blood before she had even been and she wondered if she was gaining control over herself since she had not heard the click of fangs running out.

"Are you sure you are okay, Sookie? I could stay or something." Though Jessica did not sound as if she wanted to stay. Actually, at that moment, she sounded as if she could not get away fast enough. Whether it was the emotions or the blood Sookie was unsure, but really it didn't matter. She wanted to be alone to process the information she had just received and that wasn't going to happen with Jessica standing in her doorway lusting over her blood.

"No, I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Okay. Goodnight." Jessica smiled sadly and gently shut the door behind her.

The second the lock clicked in the door Eric was kneeling by her side, gathering her up in his arms. Neither of them spoke as he gently rocked her back and forth, rubbing small soothing circles on her back. Slowly she came to and put a stop to their constant rocking with a hand on Eric's face. Her small fingers tentatively traced lines across his jaw, his cheekbones, his lips. She memorized his face with tiny, feather-light strokes as he stared stone-faced into her eyes. Before she could register her actions she leaned forward and captured Eric's lips with her own. He didn't react as she slowly urged her mouth against his, her fingers weaving themselves into his hair pulling his face closer, trying to incite a reaction. As her actions grew more desperate her eyes snapped open and she pulled away abruptly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she scooted back on the couch away from Eric's advancements.

"Don't be," he growled and grabbed her hips firmly trapping her in place.

"I don't know what came over me," she whispered and tried to hide her face with her hands. A fierce blush was blazing down her neck and she could feel the warmth through her own hands. Eric reached up removing her hands from her face, guiding them down to the couch and holding them down behind her so that she was leaning back and fully exposed to him.

He bent down to her neck and inhaled deeply causing Sookie to shiver under him. She gasped sharply as his teeth grazed her neck.

"You are afraid of me," he mused into her neck.

She swallowed hard unsure of what was the right answer. It wasn't really that she was afraid of Eric, it was more she was surprised at her own actions and while she may have been able to predict how the old Eric would have reacted to her rash actions she really had no gauge on the man before her. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words just caught in her throat.

"Uh. No, I, uh…"

He pulled back from her at that moment and took her tiny hands in his. He spread her fingers apart and without hesitation began licking at her wounds. His tongue lapped lazily at the mostly closed cuts sending shivers down her spine. He moaned almost imperceptibly and she momentarily lost herself in the feel of his slightly rough tongue tasting her skin. It was an unexpected, though not entirely unwelcome gesture. A breathy sigh escaped her lips and she rubbed her thighs together to distract herself from the feelings that were overtaking her body. Though it was useless, she knew he could tell she was aroused.

She thought back to the dream she had had just before she had last seen Eric with his memories intact. Always dreams, that seemed the extent of the experience she had with Eric. It was a wonder she knew what was real and what wasn't between them.

She had fallen asleep on Jason's couch and he had appeared beside her. He had leaned over her, much in the way he had just now and had told her that she should just give in to her desires—that he knew that she knew she liked it. And she had. Though his motives were questionable, and with Eric they most certainly always were, and she trusted him about as far as she could throw him (ha, ha) she had felt that desire to be something real. The problem with Eric was that he was always manipulating someone or something to get what he wanted, and she couldn't let him have that over her. He had been so ominous and though his appearances in her dreams were hardly ever easily explained there was just something more she remembered feeling. It was urgency and desperation, but muddled and hazy. She wasn't sure why she was feeling those things. At the time she had attributed the feelings to Bill, but sitting here she was beginning to reevaluate that assessment. But right now in the safety of her home she was allowing herself to forget who Eric was. Right now she needed him to be someone who didn't know her, without the fear that he would suddenly remember who he was and hold everything she had done over her.

He placed her hand back in her lap and rocked back on his heels so that they there was a considerable distance between them. "Who was she?"

The change of subject jolted Sookie back to reality. "Jessica. She's Bill's child."

She knew without asking that he had heard the whole exchange, but for whatever reason she felt it necessary to highlight the comment that had sent her reeling.

"Bill is gone."

"I heard." He said it with such calm authority. In that moment she recognized him as Eric, the one she knew. It would seem that he was a natural born leader, the voice of reason even when he did not know himself.

He got up to sit beside her on the couch, casually taking her hand in his. It was a gesture of comfort, one that she greatly needed at that moment. They were touching so often lately, something she would have found overwhelming had she been her normal neurotic self. "I'm not really sure if he's missing. Maybe he left? But what if something happened to him, I mean, he was supposed to bring me back and he didn't. Maybe the queen punished him. Maybe he will be coming for me." She rattled off her concerns to no one in particular, only half focusing on the words as they were coming out of her mouth. "Maybe she will be coming for me," she added.

"I will not let anything harm you." His words startled her. They were so fierce. Despite her better judgment she wanted to believe that Eric would protect her. In fact, this whole thing was just a giant exercise in doing everything against what it was in her nature to do. It was remarkably easy.

"Thank you." She sat on the couch unsure of what else to say. She shivered slightly in the damp night and pulled her arms around herself seeking warmth. Eric's arms wrapped themselves around her drawing him close to her as he reclined on the couch and covered them both with the afghan.

"Tell me about yourself," he said abruptly as he pulled her back into her arms and buried his face in the hair bunched at the nape of her neck.

She laughed softly and stretched her neck up so that he had better access to it. It felt natural and comfortable, as if it were perfectly normal for Eric to nuzzle her in such a familiar manner. She liked it though, it felt good and he felt good. She relaxed against him and pulled the blanket tight around her arms.

"What do you want to know?"

"The details. The stuff no one else knows. Tell me your secrets, Sookie Stackhouse."

"I don't have any secrets."

"Tell me about us, then."

"There is no us, Eric."

"We know each other, surely we have some history. How did we meet?"

"Your bar. Bill took me there to ask about some murders that my brother was being accused of committing. You were…you. A little intimidating, I guess, but then again not so much."

"Were you attracted to me?"

She playfully nudged him in the ribs. The easy laugh that Eric let out sent tremors down her spine as his whole chest rumbled. She began telling him about their past. The time that he rescued her from the church in Dallas. How he had tricked her into taking his blood. She wanted to sugarcoat some of the less flattering stories of him, but he knew when she was hiding things from him. He did not even pretend to look remorseful when she told him how she had naively believed that she had to suck the bullet from his chest. He looked proud and pleased, much the same as he had that very night. They laughed and talked until just before dawn when Eric placed a chaste kiss upon her lips and asked if he would see her when he awoke that evening.

"No," she yawned, interrupting herself. "Sorry. I actually switched shifts with one of the girls so I'll be gone when you wake up, but I'll be home about two. Feel free to come in and make yourself comfortable. There's blood in the fridge. You can watch a movie or something."

"I will see you then," he said with a smile and then he was gone.

Sookie gathered her blanket around her and stood up. The whole night had passed in a blink of an eye as she had opened up to Eric more than she had with anyone probably ever. He was so easy to talk to, didn't judge her or expect anything from her. He was playful and teasing, quick to laugh and so very unlike Eric that she found herself completely charmed by him. It was not as though he would be around forever, but she had kept a lot worse company. She yawned again as she padded up the stairs to her room. When she reached the bed she collapsed, face down into the mattress, grateful that she could sleep away the whole day. She optimistically thought towards the next night when she would have a day off. Only working two days in a row and already she needed the rest.

Work came without any great catastrophes and though the night started out slow business grew steadily into the full swing of a typical night. Endless parades of couples and families, most familiar faces, came and went until eleven when it began to die down. She saw Sam leaning against the bar and came up to stand beside him.

"You okay? You look a little tired."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said with a boyish grin. "You?"

She was about to answer when she suddenly had an inexplicable feeling that something was off. She thought back on the day but nothing struck her as particularly odd. It was as though it was there, just below her consciousness, but in a place she couldn't grasp it.

"Sookie?" The slight edge of hysteria in Sam's voice brought her back to the present. He must have been calling her name for quite some time because several patrons at the bar were looking at her as though she had really gone off the deep end for good this time.

She gave a sharp, self-deprecating laugh and apologized to Sam. "Guess I'm a little more tired than I thought."

"Maybe you should go home and rest. It's pretty slow, I think we're probably gonna pack it in early tonight. I'll finish for you." Normally she wouldn't have dreamed of cutting out early, but something in her was propelling her towards her home. Though she had no idea what it might be something was definitely wrong.

"Okay. Thanks, Sam." He gently squeezed her hand as she made her way into the office to collect her things. As she got into her car the panic began to gradually build in her chest until she was on the verge of all out hyperventilating. She pressed harder on the gas, doing everything in her power to close the distance between her and Eric. She didn't know why; all she knew was that she needed to see him immediately.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** I feel like I am always apologizing when I post a chapter of this story, but I really just cannot seem to find consistent inspiration for it. I'm so beyond flattered that you guys read this and care what happens with the story. I just want you to know that I don't think I could ever not finish this story, so while it may take me until the new season comes back around to find some inspiration I will never just abandon it completely. Mostly, because as a reader I know how much it sucks when you invest time in reading a story that just hangs in the balance forever.

So, just a few things. The story's rating has changed from T to M for adult themes that will become more prominent as the story progresses. And, well, I am blushing just writing this, but this contains my very first sex-ish scene ever. To be quite truthful with you all I think I may have bungled it a bit. I'm really not a prude or anything, but for some reason I found the language very uncomfortable. I swear to you I had something like a twelve minute debate over the use of the word 'panties' over 'underwear'.

And I know that I usually don't ask for reviews, but I find that I am really at a loss with this story and I want to continue it because so many of you still send me messages and reviews even though I haven't updated for quite some time. I just need to know what is good and what is bad and what is an utter and epic failure.

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The door was open. That much she could see from the dimly lit driveway as her car seemed to crawl in half time towards her house. She wasn't even sure that the car was in park when she flung herself from it and began running with purpose towards the open door. The wooden steps of her porch gave slightly under her sneaker-clad feet as she pounded up the stairs. Grabbing the doorway she propelled herself through the kitchen into the living room searching with near mania for Eric while fighting against the nauseating thumping of her heart in her throat. She went upstairs and back down again, searching for any sign of where he might be, though she knew he wasn't there. Struggling to focus long enough to get a quick scan, the somewhat jumbled, fuzzy reading from her mind revealed no one was around; dead or otherwise. Finally, she fell to her knees in the kitchen.

At a loss and unsure of what to do next she decided it best at that moment to focus on breathing. Sure, Eric didn't know who he was, but he was still a vampire. It wasn't as though any old bad guy could just come along and take him without a fight. She focused on breathing deeply, gathering the material of her pants into her fists she held on tightly as she tried to calm herself down. She was still on the floor when she felt arms come around her and yank her up from the floor. It was her natural instinct to scream and attempt to break loose, but as she was opening her mouth to let loose, a cool hand clamped down over her mouth. Her eyes flew open to see soothingly familiar blue staring back at her. It was Eric. He was here.

"Everything is okay," he said calmly, placing a hand on either side of her face, forcing her to maintain eye contact. She pulled away embarrassed at her readiness to grasp onto him and self-consciously smoothed her hands down the front of her shirt for lack of anything better to do with them.

"Sorry, sorry," she said suddenly hyper aware of the awkwardness. It was then that she noticed Jessica standing uncomfortably by the door.

"Shit, I completely forgot I told you to come by. What happened?" It was obviously too late to even try to explain Eric to her. It was written all over her face that she had been filled in. He stood at her side, the tension rolling off his body in waves. His hand found hers and weaved his fingers through her own, squeezing with just the slightest amount of pressure. It was oddly comforting, just that hand around hers and she squeezed back to show her appreciation at the gesture.

"When I was heading over here I saw someone on your property. They were obviously supe—shifter or something, but I could have sworn I knew their scent. It was just so familiar, you know? So, anyway, I began to approach them as they were attempting to break in the back door and that's when I guess they realized I was there because the person took off pretty quick. I rushed in to tell you and there was Eric and well, you already know what's wrong with him."

"Was it a man or a woman?" Her greatest fears were becoming a reality. She should have known that all those months of silence and solitude would be followed by an endless pursuit and fight for her life.

"Woman," Eric spoke now.

Jessica nodded as though she agreed, but couldn't confirm anything and then continued. "We took after her, but she just sort of poofed." There certainly seemed to be an epidemic of people just up and 'poofing' lately. "I swear I knew them, though, I just—I just couldn't place them."

"Great," Sookie grumbled and sat down heavily in a chair. Eric sat down beside her, still holding fast to her hand and she held back, both telling one another with their hands what they couldn't with their words. "We should call Pam."

"She is coming," Eric said, looking up at the door, as though he was waiting for her to walk in at any moment.

"You just know that?"

"Yes."

"Oh." She wasn't sure what else to say. The air was thick and almost suffocating. Jessica stood awkwardly by the door, absentmindedly fiddling with her nails, looking up every so often to meet Sookie's eyes. The tension was building steadily, causing a steady swell to gather in Sookie's chest until she felt like she might pass out. She focused on breathing in and out, on the firm grasp that Eric had on her hand. It wasn't overtly affectionate, but there was something about the gesture that made her feel safe and connected to him.

A sudden gust of wind drew her eyes to the doorway to find Pam standing there looking flawless as usual, hands on hips, regarding the scene before her with just a quirk of her eyebrow. "It was the witch," she said without preamble. "I followed her to a secluded house in a patch of woods outside of Bon Temp."

The three of them just stared at her, waiting for instruction, one a little more helpless than the next. They certainly were a ragtag bunch; a vampire with amnesia, a baby vampire with barely developed instincts and a telepathic waitress. Though she had proven her ability to fight with the best of them in the past, right now she was feeling anything other than the need to charge into battle. Pam rushed about then, taking charge of the situation completely as Sookie was just content to sit back and let her deal with the crisis at hand.

A small amount of pressure from Eric's hand around hers drew her attention to him. He looked at her sullenly as he slowly released his grip on her, disentangling their hands in favor of taking a hold of her thigh. Other than her spastic attack of kissing the previous night they hadn't been quite so touchy feely as to invite Eric's familiarity now. But she did nothing to discourage his slow journey up her leg and back down the inside of her thigh, shivering at his airy touch. Her heartbeat was quickening and she was certain that in the roomful of vamps she wasn't fooling anyone.

"Sookie," Pam called sharply from across the room and Eric's ministrations on her leg ceased just as quickly as they began. She felt that damned familiar blush spreading across her chest and met Pam's eyes somewhat reluctantly. Pam was smirking, much as she expected, but she was defiantly staring Pam down, just daring her to say something. "Call your shifter boss and tell him that Eric has asked you to contact him and demand that he gather the Shreveport Pack at his restaurant tomorrow night."

"I can't say that to him—" She began to beg off her assigned task, but Pam was quick to stop her.

"Tell him what ever you like, I do not care, so long as they are there tomorrow night. Jessica and I will be going to investigate the house I have found. Do not leave Eric again; tell the shifter you will be taking some time off. I am not paying you to leave him to fend for himself." Before she could even formulate a reply she realized that she and Eric were once again alone.

He remained at the table as she got up slowly to make the phone call. It rang several times, giving her enough time to gather her thoughts. When Sam finally answered she did her best to relay what Pam had told her in way that sounded much more amiable, but still conveyed the general message that he didn't have a choice in the matter. She informed him that she would need some time off and he seemed agreeable, telling her that he would see her the next night at Merlotte's after closing. After hanging up the phone she looked over to see Eric still sitting in the same chair, though his eyes had a distant glaze to them, as if he were staring at nothing in particular.

She sat down next to him without saying anything, grateful for just a few moments of silence. It had only been a couple of days and already she was exhausted by the vampire hijinx that had once again managed to worm its way into her life. Was it too much to ask that for once she could just live a normal life free of the daily life and death scenarios that vamps brought with them?

"You were concerned for me." He said quietly, though didn't move his gaze from somewhere out in the middle distance of the room. She felt as though he were asking why, rather than restating the obvious. To that, she honestly didn't have much of an answer. The panic had escalated so suddenly it hadn't given her time to analyze the origin, but rather she had just acted upon instinct.

"Eric—" She began, but he interrupted her. Everyone was always cutting her off. 'Why bother asking her anything if no one ever wanted to hear the fucking answer,' she thought bitterly.

"I need to know. Please." What precisely it was that he needed to know she was unsure. Did he need to know that she felt for him? That much was clear from the very fact that she picked him up off of her street that night. It was obvious the way she felt about him, there was very little she could do to hide the way her body reacted to his touch, his words. His eyes met hers and she felt her all resolve crumble under the forlorn gaze.

"I can't explain it." She spoke in almost a whisper, though she knew that he could hear her clear as if she were screaming at the top of her lungs. "I just knew something was wrong. And when I got here and the door was opened and I just thought—I just didn't know and I was confused and worried and… "

"But I am vampire."

"So?" That statement threw her for a moment. She wasn't sure what that had to do with anything. Perhaps he was insulted that she thought she could do anything to help him were he actually in trouble. Which, was true, she certainly had very limited ability to do anything should he truly need her, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't try her very hardest to help him in any way she could. Her hands were in her hair, untangling knots and yet creating more in their wake. She let them drop to the table, palms down, making a loud slap as they met the table.

His hand found hers once again and lay gently on top of it. "I do not understand what I feel for you."

"Well that makes two of us," she answered sardonically and pulled her hand free of his. Pushing back the chair with a loud scrape, she moved out of the kitchen and into the living room where she sat down in a chair, as if a change of scenery would make much difference in the conversation. As soon as she had sat down, Eric was on his knees in front of her, holding her face, smoothing his rough, cool fingertips along her jaw and down her neck.

It was urgent and frenzied, the touch. Neither said a word as they stood at the same precipice they had found themselves at in as many times in the last few days, staring down the unknown with absolute confusion.

She pleaded with her eyes for him to stop. He was pushing her down a road that she didn't want to go down. He was making it far too easy for her to seek comfort in his arms, to lose herself to a physical release that she so needed right now, but was too terrified to even fully consider.

"I feel you and it feels as though I have never not known you," he confessed in a husky whisper. She closed her eyes at his words and allowed his hands to continue their exploration of her face and neck. There was a feeling of being torn between wanting him to stop and wanting him to never cease the soft, gentle caresses that were stirring up long forgotten feelings in her loins. Her entire body was on fire and he was only barely touching her, most certainly not in any way that should be inciting this riot within her.

"I desire you, but I have no explanation for this desire. And it is all consuming, something I cannot shake from my consciousness every time I even consider that I might be around you. It haunts me as I go to ground and it is the first thing I feel upon waking. I do not know who I am, yet I know I want you so completely and it is maddening." Her eyes shot open upon hearing the way he hissed out the last word, as though even speaking of his desire was causing him great physical pain.

"You're confused," she said, shaking her head. At once she felt such elation at hearing his confession, but also despair knowing that none of it could possibly be true. He would eventually remember who he was and that he did not, in fact, feel this way. It would be foolish for her to allow herself to believe there was any truth to what he was telling her.

She tried to pull herself away from, but he was having none of it, only moving in closer and gathering her arms up in his large hands. Her head dipped low in an attempt to shut him out, but before knew what was happening his lips were on hers. This was not the unresponsive, passive allowance of kisses that had occurred the night prior. No, this was intense and frenzied as he hungrily devoured her mouth. At first she put up some resistance, planting her hands firmly on his chest to maintain some distance, but it only encouraged him to crush her body closer to his, forcing her hands up to his neck.

Once she realized that resistance was useless she surrendered herself fully to the moment. Her fingers tangled in his short hair, alternately pulling his closer and pulling him away to take quick gasps of breath. He pulled her up from the chair, not breaking contact for even a second, and before she knew that they had even gone upstairs he was tenderly laying her out on the bed, trailing down her body with his mouth. She writhed against his gentle kisses as they explored her stomach and in a heated moment she ripped her shirt over her head, freeing herself from the barrier preventing him from tasting even more of her flesh.

The heady swirl of her emotions drove her down into a void that made her feel as though her very existence hinged on Eric's touch upon her skin. The cool exhalation of breath tingled across her stomach, causing the muscles there to tense at the unexpected sensation. As he began to undo the button of her pants she reached down to bring him back up to her again and resumed kissing him with increased need.

Rational thought had no place in the world for Sookie at the moment. She knew what was wrong with everything that was happening, but somehow it couldn't matter less. She couldn't recall the last time that she had allowed herself to so fully surrender to her desires and it seemed to be spurring Eric on as she explored his mouth wantonly, feeling bolder than she ever had before.

There had always been a tender element to love making with Bill, a gentleness that was expressed through soft touches and loving kisses. Admittedly there had been moments when they had been taken with need, but she had always felt as though Bill was holding back from truly giving over himself to her. Here, with Eric, she felt as though he was feeling exactly as she was feeling, drunk with want and need. She stifled a small cry into his mouth as his hand finally released the closure of her pants that he had been fiddling with for the past few moments and she felt his cold touch through her underwear. He growled in response and without warning plunged one finger deeply into her. She relished the feel for a moment as he stilled within her and in that moment reality came crashing down around her.

Breathlessly she pulled away. "Stop, we can't do this. Oh god, it feels good, but we have to stop."

He immediately withdrew his hand and she cursed the great disappointment she felt in its absence. Though, despite that, she knew they couldn't continue. Panting into his neck, they were still wrapped around one another in various states of undress, but neither made a move to separate.

Finally, she heard him mutter into the crook of her neck. "Why?"

"Why what?" she asked quietly, staring up at the ceiling, trying to collect her thoughts and bring her heart rate back down.

"Why do we have to stop?" He asked so matter-of-factly. So very Eric, in that way. Perhaps it was just a vampire thing, to feel desire and pursue it regardless of the implications of the actions. Sookie wished it were all so simple, to want something and then acquire it at all costs. But it wasn't. This wasn't right for so many reasons, yet none of them seemed like a suitable explanation right then.

She reached out across her bed and pulled the throw that lay at the end towards her body to cover up her nudity. Rolling out from under Eric with his cooperation, she slipped under his arm and silently went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Going to the sink, she gripped the edges until her knuckles turned white. With a couple of deep breaths she had regained control of her emotions and felt safe to go back into the room without the danger of jumping Eric's bones again. The blanket still wrapped around her, she emerged from the bathroom to see that he was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her with great intensity. She smiled weakly at him and circled around the bed to her dresser to fetch a nightshirt. Facing away from him, but aware that he could see every one of her actions reflected in the mirror before her, she dropped the blanket. Acting as though it didn't bother her in the least that he was staring, she slowly removed her pants, one leg at a time, letting them pool on the floor in front of her, before pulling the plain long sleeved night shirt over her head. It covered less thigh than she wished it would at that moment, but decided to feign that it didn't matter. It did, though, if only for the sole reason that she could imagine his hands running up her thighs, having such easy access to places he had just recently discovered with his hands.

She crawled up onto her side of the bed and lay there quietly as she waited for Eric to lie down beside her. Without prompting, he did just as she wanted and placed his head on the pillow facing her. Unsure of where to go next with this she began telling him the story of the first time they met in great detail. How she frightened him, and yet intrigued him, sitting so confidently and powerfully on that tacky throne in Fangtasia.

She talked all night, sharing as much of himself with him as she could think of. He asked questions and she answered them all to the best of her ability, wanting him to have as full a knowledge of who he was as she could provide him with. And when she felt she had exhausted all of her knowledge of him she began sharing stories about herself. Silly, inconsequential, embarrassing bits that she had never shared with anyone else. They laughed and talked, in a way that Sookie never truly had experienced. She was not worried she would accidentally read his mind, was not concerned with what he thought about her. She was relaxed and truly enjoyed the comfort his presence brought her.

And when the sun was just under the horizon he told her that he had to leave her. Kissing her lips tenderly, he brushed a loose strand of hair back from her face before disappearing. Once he was gone she allowed her eyes to close, allowed the weight of her body to sink into the bed below her and drifted off into a deep sleep.

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So, there you go. I don't know, I guess. Just let me know what you thought. Also, I don't own anything. And it was not beta'd, so sorry for any typos. Oh! And I'm now a registered beta, so if you would like to request my services I would be happy to be of some use to you! That's it...I promise. You can leave now.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Long time, no see. I own nothing.**

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The booth in the back corner of Merlotte's could not handle the tension that was threatening to explode between them. The sun had set and they had dutifully made the trip to Merlotte's in pained silence, neither acknowledging the events of the night before. She was on edge, to say the very least and at the most random moments her body hummed so steadily with frustration that she was afraid would start fairy phasing everyone in arm's reach. Perhaps it was that he could tell what she was feeling, perhaps he simply didn't care to rehash what had happened. Either way he stood tall and silent as ever beside her. Never leaving her side for even the smallest of seconds. She would have thought that this would be grating on her nerves a great deal more than it was. It seemed something about his presence was soothing to her. There were things happening, planes being laid and alliance being formed and though she was aware of this going on around her she was having significant difficulty focusing. It was then like all of the air had been sucked from the room, in slow motion but yet all at once as if that were even possible, the doors broke open bringing a gust of air rushing in so quickly it swept through the room as if heading straight for her. The sense of foreboding that rapidly gathered tight at the pit of her stomach gave her fair warning that whatever was about to occur wouldn't be pleasant but it couldn't possibly have prepared her for what came next.

Through the doors walked Bill, but an incredibly well dressed, groomed and polished Bill. He strode into the building as though he owned it and the way the vamps in the bar behaved it seemed entirely possible. His sight was set on Sookie, focused and determined as he moved at a painstakingly slow human speed to her table in the far corner. Hot at his heels was Pam, the quick tap taping of her stilettos sounding out as a warning bell in Sookie's brain. That and the utterly unmistakably look on her face. Pam was intercepting and it was clear that whatever information she was about to divulge would be unwelcome.

Bill reached the table a fraction of a second before Pam, though it was long enough to gaze deeply into Sookie's eyes, his face painted with guilt, remorse and something else. Pity?

"Sookie," Pam drawled, her tone as bored as ever. If it wasn't for her quick rush to announce whatever it was that was going to be announced Sookie would have believed she was not the least bit interested in what was going down. "Allow me to introduce to you, the King of Louisiana." Sookie gasped as a proud smile overcame Bill's previous expression. He was practically beaming above her and she got the feeling that Bill expected her to jump up and congratulate him on whatever it was he had done to get such a position. Eric's hand brushed her air, but she shook him away, still not ready to deal with whatever the fuck was going on there. This was all too much right now. Bill was the King? And why hadn't she known? The way that Pam had made that nice little speech it seemed as though she was already fully aware of the change in power. If Pam knew that meant that Eric knew. It meant that he had kept the information from her purposely. They hadn't seen each other granted, but Sookie felt there was some sort of obligation that Eric would feel to tell her that her fucking psycho manipulator ex-boyfriend was now the most powerful vampire in the state. And what about Jessica?

What about Jessica? She struggled to wade through her foggy memories, now all so distant and out of reach. Gone. She distinctly recalled that she had used the word gone. Was gone code for 'my maker just killed the Queen and took over her job'? Sweet Jesus, all this time, just when she had thought that she could begin to relax it all just got that much worse. Her head was spinning, this was insanity. Eric didn't know who he was, Bill was the freaking King of the state and she was sitting in Sam Merlotte's bar with more supes than she cared to count plotting the demise of a witch. The meeting went on, that much she knew, and she was vaguely aware of Eric at her side the entire time, not touching her but trying to send some sort of comfort to her. It helped more than she wanted to admit.

She floundered for a minute; just below the surface of reality she was able to see everything but could not quite get her head above water. Bill was King and she wasn't sure how to take that. It was potentially very bad for her and it would've been fine to just wallow in that forever, but something took hold of her. A part of her, the part that sounded eerily like Gran, scolded her for even thinking of taking the easy way out. The coward's way out. She had had survived much worse than this and that wasn't so she could curl into a ball and die from her own fear. She was better than that. Stronger than that.

She took a few deep breaths and when her senses returned she thought that she couldn't have found a better time to pull her shit together. This was only the beginning and for what was coming next she was going to need to be strong. The awkwardness and apprehension that had marked the beginning of the night had now dissolved into a rowdy group of bloodthirsty savages, hungry for the kill. Ready for the fight. There was just now one more thing that needed to be done.

It had sort of seemed a waste to her when Pam first proposed what was going to happen. After all, they had spent so much time trying to hide Eric away from the world so as not to expose his weaknesses and what they were about to do would most certainly expose his weaknesses. This wasn't just some party, a social mixer for weres and vamps, it was a call to battle. While they stood there staring at one another through their barely concealed disdain they were all wondering what it was they were supposed to be afraid of. Witches existed, of course they knew that, but what made this one so dangerous? Well, of course they would need proof. And Sookie had all 6' whatever clinging to her side like a frightened little kitten. What could be more dangerous that the oldest, most ruthless vampire you know reduced to—well… She wasn't sure how many of tonight's attendees had seen _Finding Nemo_, but she was certain that if they had they would have most definitely agreed with her dubbing Eric the Dory of their little duo.

"Your Majesty," Pam sneered, practically gleeful in her delivery. "Allow me to introduce Eric," Bill's head just crooked to the side, watching Pam as if she had finally fucking lost it. "Eric, this is Bill Compton, King of Louisiana." Now Bill's eyes went to Eric, utterly baffled by what was happening. That was until Eric stood, unfolding himself from Sookie's side only to kneel on the ground before him.

"Your majesty, it is my honor." Sookie thought she could hear the jaws as they dropped one by one at the sight before them.

"What is going on?" Bill asked in wonder as he too kept his gaze focused on the blond head bowed down in deference to him.

"The fucking witch," Pam moaned, already back to being bored. But the recognition in Bill's eyes told Sookie that this wasn't the first he was hearing about their little witch problem. Everything that had happened tonight was for a reason, Pam told her earlier in the evening before this all began. She was to sit down and shut up. It was particularly heartless, she felt, for Pam to spring this shit on her like this. She had to have figured that if she told Sookie she would have merely relayed the message to Eric, not that she would have even been able to put enough distance between Eric and Sookie to do it in secrecy.

Pam needed the upperhand. Bill needed reasonable cause to go after the witch. Everyone wins. And just as easy as that they were at war.

The drive home was full of more pained silence and oppressive sighing. Sookie had never felt as trapped as she did in that little car and even more infuriatingly Eric wouldn't leave even an inch of space so that she could take a moment to clear her head. This only served to irritate her even more because she was certain, absolutely certain, that he knew her body was wound tighter than a rubber band and yet he still refused to give her the space she so desperately craved.

Before her car was properly parked in her driveway she was out the door, not able to spend one more single tense moment listening to the sound of her own breathing. It was childish, this avoidance, but she was barely holding it together and she feared what she might do if she allowed herself to let loose. She was aware that Eric was trailing behind her at his own languorous pace, but tried not to focus too intently on the feeling of his eyes burning a hole in her back. Once inside she began mounting the stairs, weary and worn out from an evening that while eventful seemed to have sapped all the energy from her body. The door closed behind her, but still she didn't turn around trusting that everything was as it should be. Continuing to trudge up to her room, she grabbed clothes from her drawers as she passed on straight in to the bathroom, checking the lock twice before she dared to remove any of her clothes.

When she emerged he was still there, his posture as straight as ever, leading her to suspect he hasn't even so much as flinched while she was gone. She often forgot simple things like that about vampires. Their minds were still, but so were they. Never moving unnecessarily never flinching and twitching like humans. She supposed all those things combined were what made vampires so attractive to her. The silence was part of it, but she could just relax with them. To sit there in complete silence and not have someone next to you fidgeting all around while you tried to shut your mind down. It was beyond peaceful and something that she hadn't realized that she had missed. It was one thing to be quiet in solitude, but to have company with whom she could exist quietly was quite another. She lay down in bed all too aware that Eric was right beside her. Not touching her but almost shadowing her body. The day ran through her mind like an incredibly slow movie, it had been decided that evening that they would be waging war. It wasn't clear to Sookie how this all came about, but apparently the witch had been found, plans had been drawn out and tomorrow they would attack. Her part had been explained to her in brief by Pam who was excelling quite wonderfully in Eric's absence.

The silence was beginning to shift from horrifically unbearable to comforting, that was until Eric broke through her thoughts. "He was your former lover." True to Eric it wasn't a question, but an observation worded in such a way that her heart contracted painfully for no reason whatsoever. Clearly her blood wasn't concealing the absolute anxiety she had been feeling when he appeared.

"He was," she confessed, her back still turned to him.

"He is King." That definitely wasn't a question and it sounded almost accusatory to Sookie's ears. Of course he was the King, that was how had been introduced wasn't it?

"_That _is a recent development." She shifted for what felt like forever before finally facing him. The second their eyes met she regretted doing so. Her hands were ineffectively pinned in between their bodies and when his fingers reached out to trace the curves of her cheeks she was powerless to stop him. Something in between a sigh and a shudder escaped her as his body pressed even more firmly against hers, igniting the spark that had threatened to consume her all night. She closed her eyes, trying in vain to shut out what her body was so plainly telling him. She wanted this. Wanted him.

"Why do you resist me?" The timbre behind his words tugged at the longing growing more urgent within her. If she spoke she wasn't sure that she would be able to tell him no and so she kept still, allowing for now the soothing touches to continue. His fingers explored as though he were a blind man trying to memorize the lines of her face. Slow, even strokes that had made the hairs on her arms stand up. Every part of her was sensitive to the innocent exploration of her face and never had she known such an erotic touch.

"I am no longer who I once was. I can stay here with you, protect you. I can be different here with you."

She smiled sadly, eyes opening just wide enough that she could observe the sorrowful yet earnest expression on his face. Was that what he thought she wanted to hear? She had always resisted him, true, but that was a matter of self-preservation. Not due to his violent or duplicitous nature, but because she knew if she were with him she would never belong only to herself ever again. And because the idea of being his appealed to her in such a way that it terrified her. But this Eric, the one who cradled her in his arms, offered himself to her, perhaps was even more terrifying.

Carefully, with eyes wide open, Eric began kissing her. Deliberately holding herself back she allowed his lips to caress hers, to coax her. The stark contrast of these tender, insistent kisses with the urgent passionate ones they had shared in the past stirred within her. For all the precautions she had taken to keep herself safe she found herself always in harm's way. One day, possibly very soon considering the way her life was going, she would no longer be around and that very real possibility shook her to the very core. So when his tongue gingerly swept across the roof of her mouth her resolution crumbled. Freeing her arms from their cage she took hold of Eric's arms and pulled herself to him. Her legs wrapped around his strong thighs, allowing him to settle on top of her. His arms, his shoulders, his skin felt so cool and so strong. So endlessly intense was his every touch, every movement as her body pushed and arched against his that she found herself questioning the reality of the situation. But no matter how many times she tried to think about it her mind only came back to the solid conclusion that this felt so real and so right.

He effortlessly removed her clothes, piece by piece until they was nothing between them, kissing every inch of her body as though it were the most magnificent body he had ever witnessed. And she supposed in a way it was, he simply couldn't remember any others. When he finally entered her there was nothing left to consider. Only, perhaps, why she had never given in to him before. What a waste, all that time she had spent fighting for nothing. What had started out as tender and gentle began to escalate into something more desperate, an urgent tangling of their limbs as the uncertainty of their fate was sealed with every passing moment. The comfort of his weight upon her, the delirium caused by his every stroke within her manifested itself quickly into a heavy warmth that began low in her belly and spread out slowly to her entire body until it felt as though the world were upside down and inside out all at once. For once in as long as she could recall there was no impending doom weighing on her mind. The world could have ended right then and Sookie would not have had a care in the world.


End file.
